Summary Descriptions for Kingtonrural with Lower Harptongreen Spaces

Summary Descriptions for KingtonRural with Lower HarptonGreen Spaces

The greenspace areas forKington Rural and Lower Harpton Parishesare as follows:

[The green space for The River Arrow (3) within Kington Rural Parish is definedas the area within the Environment Agency Flood Warning zones to the east and west of the town along the River Arrow]

The River Arrow (3) is a special wildlife noted as “A fast flowing river with a rocky substrate in its upper reaches. There is a good margin of mostly alder, willow, holly and more notably black poplar. Aquatic and marginal plants include yellow water-lily, marsh speedwell and purple loosestrife. Various bryophytes grow on the rocks. The site is good for birds, heron, sand martin and kingfisher being amongst those recorded. Otter is known to frequent the river.”

Upstream of Kington, the river flows in a relatively open valley, bounded by areas of deciduous woodland,farmed fields and occasionally lowland meadows. In Kington Rural parish, the river flows north past the industrial units at Hergest Camp and historic settings of Hergest Court (7) and Castle Twts (8) above.

Further downstream, beyond Kington Town, the river valley becomes wooded and narrower as far as Bullocks Mill before flowing northwards on the boundary to Lyonsall Parish. Broadleaf woodland grows on the riverbank, grading into coniferous woodland on the eastern valley side. To the west is farmland.This eastern area has recreational access for walkers along the Herefordshire Trail and Mortimer Trail.

Descriptions of sites relating to the River Arrow through Kington town are addressed in the sections relevant to this parish (including the Recreation Ground (9)).

Hergest Court (7) is a historic building set onthe bank of a natural narrowing in the river valley. The court and its immediate landscape are an appropriated view or vista from Hergest Croft parkland. The site includes an historic pond, noted asspecial wildlife site. It is visible from many directions especially from Castle Twts (8) and the road, but has no public access.

Castle Twts(8) is a publicly accessible scheduled monument of a motte and bailey, situated on higher ground to the west, rising up to the settlement of Lower Hergest. The castle site and its surrounding land is recognised as a wildlife site for which is noted” The site of a Motte and Bailey with side slopes up to 1:2. The grassland is unimproved. The ground flora includes harebell, mouse-ear hawkweed, birds foot trefoil, burnet saxifrage and catsear.” These sites collectively are on animportant glacial feature in the landscape.

Rising between Hergest Court (7) and Hergest Ridge is Upper Hergest lane (10), a natural, hedge-lined holloway especially in the lower section which climbs to offer views across surrounding countryside.

Footpaths link Upper Hergest Lane (10) to the registered park and garden of Hergest Croft including Park Woodwith its historic and biodiversity importance.

The three upland commons of Bradnor, Rushock and Herrock Hills are extensive areas of registered common land, converging at a natural cwm around Holywell Wood (6) and the valley of Holywell (11). These areas serve both parishes of Kington Rural and Lower Harpton.

The commons providedesignated access and recreational value to Kington Rural Parish with the Offas Dyke path and Mortimer trails passing over the former sites. There are fragments of important habitats and well preserved sections of the Offas Dyke scheduled monument and several other earthwork monuments.

Set in a secluded valley between the three hill is the historic (now derelict) farmstead of Holywell(11) and Holywell Wood (6) . The wood is noted as a wildlife site of “abandoned oak coppice”, but with no public access. The valley retains the historic field enclosures and many features associated to the farmland and other earthwork monuments. It forms a landscape linkage between the three commons.